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Kepos Street Kitchen in Redfern Prepares to Reopen, Takeaway Dinner Packs Remain

Kepos Street Kitchen, one of Redfern’s popular breakfast cafes specialising in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes with a twist, is preparing to re-open after more than 100 days in lockdown and the staff couldn’t be more excited to welcome the diners now that restrictions are easing down in Sydney.

If you miss having authentic spanakopita and shakshuka or dining in-store or al fresco on a beautiful Sydney day, it won’t be long before the cafe welcomes you back. Beginning Monday, 18 Oct 2021, Kepos Street Kitchen will serve dine-in customers for breakfast and lunch seven days a week. Booking for a table isn’t required as the cafe will welcome walk-in guests.

Photo Credit: KepposStreetKitchen/Instagram

CHECK UPDATED RE-OPENING MENU

In anticipation of the return of normal business trading, the restaurant is hiring enthusiastic waitstaff who are willing to be trained and can work weekend shifts. Trading hours at Kepos Street Kitchen will not include evenings so interested job applicants will have their nights free.

However, for customers planning to have Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes for dinner, the restaurant’s food packs will remain on the menu, which means they could pick up takeaway orders at the Redfern site themselves or order online for home deliveries every Wednesday to Saturday.

The standard dinner pack can feed two to four people who would enjoy a feast of coriander-crusted slow-roasted lamb shoulder, cauliflower salad (with mint, parsley, walnuts, pistachios, and cranberries), hummus, and pita pockets.

At-home customers may also order the Mezze Boxes or Bake at Home Boxes of their choice with a few extras (dips and desserts)

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Kepos Street Kitchen is from Israeli-born chef and owner Michael Rantissi. Diners can’t get enough of his breakfast falafels (served with hummus, tomato, cucumber, labneh, pickled chile, and soft-boiled egg) or his egg dishes and pastries.

For store updates, follow the cafe’s Instagram.

Delicious food and vibes! The Mediterranean cuisine is authentic and very nutritious! The staff are lovely and sweet and it’s great to see Michael’s great smile as he flits through. Also love that Michael set up the deli during covid, it’s perfect for hosting with delicious meals!
Priya Singh-Gregory

The cafe is gorgeous and well situated. Service was friendly and fantastic and the hot chocolate was delicious and not too sweet. But the food blows all that away!! The falafel for breakfast dish was amazing, the hummus was flavourful and i would just highly recommend going there if you are in Sydney at all.
Roase Baulch

We had a lovely breakfast at Kepos with friendly staff and a great non-standard offering of Mediterranean inspired dishes. The labneh was particularly notable and halloumi cooked to perfection. There’s Even a Fridge packed full ofgoodies to take home with you
David Maddison

Scape Redfern To Accommodate Returning International Students In December 2021

Photo credit: Free-Photos/Pixabay

Redfern will welcome hundreds of returning international students to NSW by the end of 2021 as the pilot plan for their return under COVIDSafe standards has been given the green light.

Read: Redfern Station Upgrades: Platform Excavation, Piling Work Continue at North Eveleigh and Marian Street

The students will undergo a 14-day quarantine period in Scape Redfern, a 24-storey apartment block along Eveleigh St, which can accommodate up to 650 students to COVIDSafe standards approved by NSW Health and NSW Police.

All participating students will be required to be fully vaccinated with a TGA-recognised COVID-19 vaccine and strict quarantine protocols will be in place. The $100 million Scape Redfern also features airflow systems, door sensors and contactless access points to help combat the spread of COVID-19.

The Commonwealth Government approved of the pilot plan this week, allowing around 500 students to return to Australia through two chartered flights.

According to Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional New South Wales, Industry and Trade John Barilaro, the staggered return of students was stage one of a pilot that would slowly expand and evolve, as vaccination rates continue to rise in NSW and internationally.

“Importantly, this plan will not come at the expense of any Australian citizen or resident wishing to return home,” Mr Barilaro said. Whilst students will shoulder the airfares, universities would cover the quarantine costs.

The first phase of the pilot plan would prioritise PhD students, those who have nearly completed degrees, and those who are enrolled in medicine and health-related courses.

Education partners including Australian Catholic University, Macquarie University, The University of Newcastle, The University of Sydney, UNSW, UTS, University of Wollongong and Western Sydney University, plus independent providers the International College of Management Sydney, Kaplan, Navitas, RedHill and Study Group, have signed up to the industry-funded pilot plan.

Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres added that NSW was the top destination in Australia for international students, having more than 57,000 students that are currently overseas. Many of the students are desperate to return, resume their studies, take part-time jobs, or simply connect with friends and continue their journey in Australia.

Bart Jr in Redfern Reinvents With a Lockdown Menu

“Necessity is the mother of invention.” Bart Jr has grasped the wisdom of this statement as it reinvents and innovates its lockdown menu to thrive in Redfern amidst the pandemic.

In the last few weeks, this small neighbourhood bar on Pitt Street has been serving up extraordinary takeout food and creative deals that distinguish itself from other eateries.

The star of Bart Jr’s latest food offering is this creamiest rock lobster roll, filled with delicious chunks of lobster meat from the coast of Western Australia and king prawns from the Clarence River. Beautifully set on buttered and grilled hotdog buns with tarragon, chive, horseradish and lettuce, a bite of this delightful sandwich will transport you to the salty breezes and warmness of the beach even while you’re stuck at home.

The rock lobster rolls are pre-ordered and served for takeout during the weekends only. Bart Jr owner George Woodyard had the intention of offering the sandwich as a one-off but feedback from customers online convinced him to include the choice for its lockdown menu. Mr Woodyard also offers a Bart Lobster Roll Picnic Pack for five people for $250.

For vegan foodies, Bart Jr introduced the biggest and juiciest Shroom Burger in early September. It comes with portobello mushroom, roasted in our fermented chilli butter, w Swiss cheese, green goddess Mayo, white onion, on a warm milk roll.

For easy pasta meals to prepare at home, Bart Jr has created a line of heat-at-home options.

Bart Jr shares the latest limited menu and weekly deals on its Instagram page, where customers may also DM for orders. Pick up is every Thursday to Saturday between 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. at the Bart Mart, a special takeaway window.

Sunsuper Buys Locomotive Workshop in South Eveleigh

The Locomotive Workshop, a heritage landmark in South Eveleigh and part of the former Australian Technology Park precinct off Redfern, has been acquired by Sunsuper from Mirvac for $231 million.

The property, which stands as a two-storey brick and sandstone structure spanning 31,000-square metres, boasts of tenants like technology firms Quantium and Post Op Group, marketing company OMG, as well as key retailers like The Grounds and Romeo’s IGA.

In recent years, the Locomotive Workshop has been redeveloped as an A-grade innovation hub and commercial space whilst maintaining its heritage artefacts and features.

Reports cited that the deal took place after Sunsuper, Australia’s largest superannuation funding firm, shifted its commercial assets from AMP Capital to Mirvac. Sunsuper has another asset in South Eveleigh, investing in the 55,000-square metre complex, The Foundry.

Mirvac acquired the rights to develop Sydney’s retired rail yard in 2015 and completed its redevelopment in May 2021. The precinct is within walking distance to the Redfern train station and about five kilometres off the CBD. The site has heaps of shared public spaces, its very own village green, sports facilities and a scooter park, and public artworks displays featuring local artists.

Ben Schubert, the Knight Frank executive that facilitated the sale, said that despite the pandemic, demand for Sydney’s fringe office spaces remains strong as investors want to gain assets in “emerging locations” that will benefit from upgrades and redevelopments.

South Eveleigh has become very attractive to the technology and creative industries and the Locomotive Workshop has been 97 percent leased just before its completion in mid-2021.

Redfern Station Upgrades: Platform Excavation, Piling Work Continue at North Eveleigh and Marian Street

Improvement work continues at the Redfern Station to provide all commuters with better accessibility and connection between stations. Excavation, piling and installation work are ongoing at Platforms 1 and 2/3, as well as sections of North Eveleigh and Marian Street.

Noise and temporary closures of pedestrian access will be expected as materials and equipment are brought in and out of the site. However, disruptions may also arise based on current public health orders.

In July, Redfern Station construction activities were paused for at least two weeks in accordance with the NSW Government lockdown orders. Upon the resumption of work, all people at the worksite have been ascribing to the state’s COVID-19 requirements and will continue to observe these safety and preventive measures.

Meanwhile, upgrades to the Redfern Station in the following weeks will deliver these outcomes:

Remaining bridge beam installation across Platforms 1 to 6
Service route and drainage installation across platforms
Excavation and piling on Platform 1
Relocation work on the heritage building on Platform 1
Changes to overhead wiring
Various signalling works
Delivery and removal of plant, equipment and materials

By September, the construction of a new shared zone on Little Eveleigh Street will begin, impacting the thoroughfare between Wilson Street and Ivy Lane. Powerlines may be temporarily shut down as modifications will be undertaken in collaboration with Ausgrid.

Completion of the Redfern Station upgrades is earmarked for 2022. For more information and enquiries about this project, email projects@transport.nsw.gov.au or phone 1800 684 490.

Dance Your Way To Fitness With Retrosweat’s 80s Inspired Workout

Photo credit: Retrosweat/Facebook

Waterloo-based fitness studio Retrosweat just launched a digital version of their famous VHS Workout Club, a collection of ‘80s dance workouts–perfect for those who are looking for the best online workout classes to try at home.

Read: 5 Remarkable Things About Jess Fox, Tokyo Olympics C1 Canoe Slalom Gold Medalist

Retrosweat’s workouts are inspired by the original VHS workout made famous by the biggest ‘80s stars, such as David Bowie, The Pointer Sisters, Prince, and The Police. They offer weekly live classes, with a schedule suitable for all global time zones, ages and fitness levels.

Retrosweat is created and founded by Shannon Dooley whose mission is to make dance and movement easy and accessible to everybody. It combines Ms Dooley’s love of iconic and timeless pop music, and vintage fashion.

The team at Retrosweat (Photo credit: Retrosweat/Facebook)

The exercises are recommended for those who want to improve their posture and flexibility, tone their entire body, strengthen their heart, and burn tons of calories.

Joining allows you to access the library, with options such as yoga and low-impact exercises. For more information about their virtual dance classes, visit Retrosweat’s website or check out their social media pages.

Retrosweat

Facebook: www.facebook.com/RETROSWEAT

Instagram: @retrosweat

Gibbons Street Affordable Housing Now Ready for Occupancy

A new 18-storey residential development on Gibbons Street in Redfern, which has been built on the former site of the City of Sydney depot, has 40 social and 120 affordable housing units ready for occupancy.

The residential tower is under St George Community Housing (SGCH), which will also establish its new office on the Redfern site.

Centrally located near shopping centres and transportation depots, the SGCH community housing has received an 8.3 rating with the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme. Designed by DKO Architecture, the dwelling offers mixed one, two, and three-bedroom units with 27 homes for people with disabilities.

Because of the location of the residential tower, 25 percent of the units are also meant for Aboriginal families. To reflect the cultural and historical significance of the location, the Gibbon Street building has incorporated the work of Joe Hurst, an Indigenous artist who is aligned with the Boomali Aboriginal Artists Cooperative.

The tower has a rooftop garden for residents to enjoy the view as they gather and socialise. A playground on the ground floor enables the kids to have plenty of outdoor time in a safe and secured environment.

The development, however, doesn’t have any parking spaces since it’s within walking distance to the Redfern train station. There are 92 bike spaces directly outside the lobby.

Gibbons Street is environmentally sustainable with a 50kW solar array, roof-mounted fans in all apartments, and double-glazed windows that can adapt to changing thermal qualities throughout the year.

“I have watched Gibbons Street being built from the ground up and from the start of construction, it’s been really heart-warming knowing that people from my [Aboriginal] community might be placed there,” Tevita, one of the residents said.

Redfern Advocate The RAB Movement Sources Fresh Produce Supplies through Innovative App

The RAB Movement, a newly-launched Redfern advocacy group, has discovered a more convenient way to source fresh produce supplies to donate to families in need across Sydney during the lockdown.

Founder Lisa Mundine, a Wiradjuri/Bundjalung woman born in Redfern, has been using Bright Sparge’s Share And Share Alike app to ensure the deliveries of food hampers to 300 families every week so they won’t have to worry about their next meal.

Ms Mundine said that the Share And Share Alike app, developed by Charbel Yamouni in 2020 due to the long lockdown in Melbourne, has been a promising tool as it allowed The RAB Movement to provide for more people despite the extended restrictions in NSW.

Her advocacy, which was established in June 2021 or weeks before Sydney entered into a lockdown, relieves families of the pressures of thriving in this challenging period.

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Ms Mundine acknowledges that their work is not the whole solution to the problem of food security but extending support is their small way of keeping vulnerable communities optimistic. In the last two decades, she has also help network Indigenous Australian people and businesses for employment opportunities, projects, or supplies.

On the other hand, Yamouni, who also distributes food supplies and basic items like clothes and toiletries, was motivated to come up with the app to reduce the problems of distributing perishable goods. He said that many establishments are willing to donate or support but do not have the logistics for distribution and collection.

The app partners with both donors and charity groups to take care of the logistics across the country. To date, the initiative has matched over 2,000 donations for 160 charities, providing another solution to curbing food waste.

To learn about the app or support their advocacies, follow Bright Sparge’s updates on Facebook and keep tabs of The RAB Movement’s activities on Instagram.

5 Remarkable Things About Jess Fox, Tokyo Olympics C1 Canoe Slalom Gold Medalist

After years of hard work, Jess Fox, a student in the Elite Athletes program at the University of Sydney in Camperdown, has clinched her first Olympic gold medal for the inaugural C1 canoe slalom category at the Tokyo Olympics.

The powerful paddler has been chasing the gold since her debut at the 2012 London Olympics but her tough grind started back in 2000 when her father moved the family from Marseille in France to Sydney.

Here are five interesting things to know about Jess Fox:

1. Canoeing is in her blood.

Born in Marseilles in 1994, Jess comes from a family of paddlers. Her parents, Richard Fox and Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi, both competed in the Olympics as canoeists. Her dad represented Team Great Britain in 1992 and her mother was in the 1996 Games for Team France, where she won a bronze medal.

Jess’s sister, Noemie, and aunt, Rachel Crosbee, are both slalom canoeists as well and have won medals at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships. Rachel was in the 1992 Olympics with Richard.

At 11, Jess didn’t want to become a canoeist but an accident left her with a broken arm. Her doctor advised that paddling will help with her body’s rehabilitation. From there, she was hooked.

To achieve her goal for the gold, Jess trained with her mother in Penrith, where the family is based.

2. Jess Fox has been raking medals in local and international competitions since 2010.

At 16, Jess was named the Junior Canoeist of the Year by the Australian canoeing sports governing body. Two years later, she was the 2012 Australian Canoeing Athlete of the Year and was awarded the AIS Sport Performance Award Female Athlete of the Year in 2018.

Jess nabbed the gold at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships C1 class five times — 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 — and twice for the K1 class in 2018 and 2019.

She is the first woman in the history of canoeing sports to win at two classes (C1 and K1) in one year at the U23 World Championship in Penrith and at the World Championships in the USA in 2014.

The gutsy athlete also made history as the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic medals for canoeing. Just days before her C1 win in Tokyo, she won bronze at the K-1 Canoe slalom category.

3. She is number one in academics, too!

A graduate of Blaxland High School, Jess was at the top of the PDHPE (Personal Development, Health and Physical Education) curriculum for New South Wales in 2011 and had an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank) score of 99.1. She was the Dux of Blaxland in her senior year.

She took up communications at the University of Sydney. She has also attended Melbourne’s Swinburne Online for her degree in Bachelor of Social Science major in Psychology.

4. The sports star is a dog lover.

Her social media platforms are filled with various dog selfies. Whilst training for the Tokyo Olympics, Jess fostered Pink, a greyhound, who has helped her improve her speed and agility. Pink has also been a calming presence around Jess. The dog clears her mind, which is also an integral part of an athlete’s training.

However, because she has been training and traveling frequently for the competitions pre-COVID, Jess is not yet able to commit to being a pet parent full time. Her goal, however, is to adopt a dog permanently when she retires from competing.

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A post shared by Jessica Fox (@jessfox94)

5. Jess Fox also competed as a chef!

In 2017, she temporarily ditched her paddle for a laddle and competed in Australia’s version of Hell’s Kitchen in 2017, where she nearly perfected a chicken skewer with curry powder and spring onion dish. She finished in 7th place.

Bistro St Jacques in Redfern Brings Back Chic Parisienne Delivery Service

Miss the feeling of sitting down inside a restaurant to share a satisfying culinary experience with your family or friends over a bottle of wine? If you’re tired of the usual takeaway, Bistro St Jacques in Redfern has revived its “Bistro on a Bike” food delivery service during Sydney lockdown.

The French bistro along Pitt Street will bring a French-inspired feast to your home via a provincial Parisienne-inspired bicycle with cute baskets.

For $75, you can enjoy a set three-course meal that includes the entrée, main dish, and dessert, or you can pick á la carte from the restaurant’s lockdown menu.

Photo Credit: Bistro St Jacques/Facebook

Highlights

Bistro St Jacques reactivates its Bistro on a Bike delivery service.
For $75, you can enjoy a three-course French culinary dining experience at your home or choices from their á la carte menu.
Delivery covers areas around the five-kilometre radius.
Orders must be placed 24-hours in advance.

Bistro St Jacques offers some of its highly-recommended staples for delivery, such as the pan-roasted duck breast with swede and potato puree, red cabbage jam and spiced honey red wine, or the popular steak-frites with organic potatoes and a choice of sauce option for Café de Paris butter or Poivrade (pepper).

Choices of cheese and desserts are also available and should be complemented with wine. (See Wine List)

“Most of our wines are made by small handcraft producers who practice organic and or biodynamic growing and range from ‘classical’ to a more ‘natural, low fi’ hand-off approach in the shed.”

Bistro on a Bike also serves daily specials and two types of banquet meals for groups of six people so don’t forget to ask about these offers when you place your orders by calling 0478 705 704.

The restaurant delivers at dinner time every Wednesday through Sunday within the five-kilometre of Redfern. Orders must be placed at least 24 hours a day in advance.